Kairo's hand pressed against my arm, firm and unyielding, as he pushed me behind him. The movement was so sudden that I almost stumbled, my back hitting the cold wall. I opened my mouth to protest, to ask what was happening, but the look on his face silenced me.
It wasn't his usual guarded expression, the one that hovered between indifference and irritation. No — this was something else. His eyes were razor-sharp, his jaw clenched, every muscle in his body strung tight like a bow ready to snap.
Something was out there.
The thought chilled me. I glanced toward the window, but all I saw was darkness, broken only by the faint glow of the streetlamp down the road. It looked ordinary, safe. But Kairo's hand had already gone to his coat, fingers curling around the weapon I had questioned only moments ago.
My chest squeezed. He hadn't been paranoid. He hadn't been dramatic. The danger he spoke of… it was real.
I swallowed hard, my voice breaking as I whispered, "Kairo… who's out there?"
He didn't answer. He didn't even look at me. His gaze stayed fixed on the shadows outside, his entire body blocking me from view, as though he'd decided that his life was the shield between me and whatever waited beyond the glass.
The silence stretched too long, every second an eternity. My own heartbeat thundered in my ears, so loud I was sure whoever lurked outside could hear it too.
Then — another sound. The faint crunch of gravel. Slow, deliberate steps moving closer.
My stomach knotted. Whoever it was, they weren't afraid of being heard.
Kairo shifted slightly, adjusting his stance, every movement precise, controlled. His voice came low, almost a growl. "Stay behind me, Lyra. No matter what you hear, no matter what happens—don't move."
His tone left no room for argument, but fear and stubbornness clawed at me. I hated being told to stay still, hated being treated like I was fragile glass. But this wasn't about pride. The air was too heavy, the danger too tangible, and the way his hand trembled just slightly as he gripped the weapon told me this wasn't a fight he wanted me caught in.
I reached out, fingers brushing his sleeve, desperate to ground myself. "Don't leave me, Kairo."
For the briefest second, his head tilted, his profile illuminated by the dim light. His lips parted, as if he wanted to say something—something raw, something he'd never allowed himself to admit. But the moment shattered.
The front door creaked. Slowly. Painfully.
Someone was inside.
My breath caught in my throat. Kairo stepped forward, the barrel of his weapon gleaming faintly as he raised it, his entire body radiating lethal intent.
And then—
A voice, calm, low, almost amused, drifted from the darkness of the doorway.
"Well… so this is where you've been hiding."